On November 2, 2022, Twitter users saw an unexpected hashtag trending. It was #TrumpIsDead. Yes, the former President of the United States was reported dead according to Twitter. However, of course, the ex-president was alive and healthy.
Apparently, this stunt was pulled off by a user following the takeover of Twitter by the Tesla owner, Elon Musk. The change in the ownership of the media site has led to multiple transitions and new guidelines and the trending hashtag was an attempt to check Musk’s stance on disinformation on the app and his $8 subscription policy.
Also Read: “Done With Twitter”: Whoopie Goldberg Quits Twitter After Elon Musk’s Takeover
Twitter Users Test Elon Musk’s New Content Moderation
Tim Heidecker, known for his standup and TV work with fellow comedian Eric Wareheim, was the one who started the “Trump is dead” trend. It was an elaborate tweet with false news and facts, of course. He even tagged Musk tweeting that he “suppressed this news (or has he?)“. Following Musk’s takeover, there has been an ongoing conversation about content moderation and the Tesla owner is swayed towards loosening it.
Here's what we know:
1. Trump is dead (died badly)
2. @elonmusk has suppressed this news (or has he?)
3. Donald Trump Junior is now just plain Donald Trumpplease like and share.
— Donald Trump (Deseaced) (tremendous parity) (@timheidecker) November 1, 2022
As the tweet quickly amassed likes, shares and comments, many other users too shared their opinions on the said conversation regarding the changed Twitter guidelines. One user tweeted:
“What a relief that #TrumpIsDead. I mean, he might be alive, but since we’re apparently going a new direction on fact-checking in Chief Twit’s new world, I guess we’ll never know.”
What a relief that #TrumpIsDead. I mean, he might be alive, but since we're apparently going a new direction on fact-checking in Chief Twit's new world, I guess we'll never know.
— Elon Muskrat (@Bearwhale) November 1, 2022
Another tweeted, “Elon Musk: “The bird is free” – For only $20 a month if account is verified. Also Elon: “Free speech”- You can post all the misinformation & propaganda you want with no penalty. He’ll go first.”
Elon Musk: "The bird is free" – For only $20 a month if account is verified.
Also Elon: "Free speech"- You can post all the misinformation & propaganda you want with no penalty. He'll go first.— 🖤🦋Rowan Moon🦋🖤 (@oXxRowanxXo) October 31, 2022
While another user tweeted, “#TrumpIsDead is the best retaliation to Musk saying disinformation is free speech. I’m totally into it.”
#TrumpIsDead is the best retaliation to Musk saying disinformation is free speech. I’m totally into it.
— Legit Tourist (@LegitTourist) November 2, 2022
Also Read: “I’m An Alien Trying To Get Back To My Home Planet”: Elon Musk Starts A Meme Fest On Twitter
Sudden Rise Of Slurs And Hate Speech On Twitter: What Has Elon Musk Done?
The micro-blogging site witnessed a surge of hate tweets and the N-word ever since Musk took ownership. According to Variety, the activity around the usage of the N-word rose by 500% in just a 12-hour period. Moreover, Bloomberg reported that the platform also had a decline in the workforce employed to remove such content.
However, Twitter’s head of safety and integrity, Yoel Roth has made several remarks about the situation. Roel confirmed that Twitter’s rules were “still being enforced at scale” amid the Musk transition, and the reduction of the workforce was because “we (or any company) should be doing in the midst of a corporate transition to reduce opportunities for insider risk.”
Regarding the accelerated hate speech, he mentioned that “a small number of accounts post a ton of tweets that include slurs and other derogatory terms,” and that over 50,000 tweets using “a particular slur,” that is the N-word, came from just 300 inauthentic accounts.
However, with the kind of engagement that Heindrick’s thread achieved, it might be a case for Musk and Yoel since authentic accounts jumped onto the trend as a collective reaction and retaliation towards Musk.
Also Read: Which Celebrities Have Quit Twitter After Elon Musk Took Over The Company?
